Jaime
Was it difficult to get into the field of engineering when applying to college?
As I'm looking at different colleges and narrowing down what i would like to major in, i slowly came to realize that electrical engineering as hugely impacted at just about all colleges that offer some type of engineering major. So i would like to know whether or not this major is just as hard to get into as it seems. #electrical-engineering #engineering #college
3 answers
Kevin Friedman
Kevin’s Answer
Hey Jaime!
Getting into college is based on some academic minimums you must meet, which vary based on which school you choose. Some have a 2.0 minimum GPA while others are as high as 3.0 or more.
For some people this is very easy to do. For others, it can be VERY challenging.
I took advantage of my school’s co-op learning program, where you work for a real company every other semester. This made it a lot easier to get a job because I graduated with real-world experience. I can’t recommend this enough.
The thing that kept me motivated was how COOL electrical engineering is. Want to make a circuit board? How about program it? Oh yeah, and you can also send and receive invisible data through the air. Make sure your major is something you ENJOY. Have a vision for your future. The work won’t seem like work after that.
Sergei Dines
Sergei’s Answer
Engineering is tough. But so is getting a college degree, in general. Or a technical degree for that matter. All degrees, in my opinion, are difficult because of our weaknesses. Just as business would be tough for an engineer mind. That said, my suggestion is to go to community college, do very well in those math and science courses, as it will be easier to get into engineering school. Then you will not only have awesome teachers, who care and are good, but you will retain more, generally speaking, then those who attended 4-year college right off the bat. Also, it will be exponentially (see what I did there) easier to get into engineering school from a community college / with transferred credits. Trust me, this is from personal experience and tough lessons while in college. Good luck.
Nicole Baillie
Nicole’s Answer
To add just a bit to some of the awesome answers you have already gotten, it can be challenging to get into an engineering program. But there are many, many ways to minimize those challenges. I will share a few...
Knowing your interests and strengths (that means being honest about what you are good at and where you could use some help) is a good start. I knew that I wanted to pursue an engineering degree by the time I was in the 10th grade. I didn't know what kind until I started to look at colleges which was in my 12th grade.
Speaking of grades, the stronger your performance in school, the less of challenge there is in getting into the school of your choice for the program of your choice. Many schools, look not only at your grades but your breadth of experience....meaning school clubs and other activities, sports, that you have participated in. It is my opinion that many schools seek students who will bring something unique or invigorating to their programs so the schools seek to gain as much as the student seeks to gain by attending and getting their degree.
Successful engineers, in my view, keep their minds active...meaning they are constantly thinking of ways to improve something or how to solve a problem. You could consider the challenge of getting into a desired program as a problem that you are trying to solve. And it could be that one of the solutions to that problem is to start in a program that can give you a boost of confidence in terms of strong grade performance or an internship that exposes you to the daily activities of an engineer.
I hope these small examples are helpful in understanding ways that can help overcome challenges that may occur when thinking about getting into the field of engineering.
Best of luck to you!